Gaang Life
by growabrain
Summary: Basically just a bunch of oneshots of life in the Gaang. Will mostly be based between episodes 312 and the finale. I'll probably throw in some shipping oneshots for fun. My first avatar fanfiction. Not too sure about the rating, but it should be ok.
1. Sleep

**So this is it. Short, I know, but thats the point right? Zutara friendship, because I knew all along that they'd be great friends and I'm just happy that's how it turned out. I was rewatching **_**The Old Masters **_**when I saw everyone sleeping on Appa. Zuko and Katara were next to each other, and this is what I came up with.**

**--**

Sleep eluded Zuko for the longest time.

He wasn't doing much to help it out though, twisting and turning on Appa who was lying beside the ruined wall of the Earth Kingdom capital. He was to face his uncle, whom he had betrayed and insulted a lifetime ago, before confronting his father, before joining the avatar, before he had found his true purpose in life.

But those were nothing on the apprehension scale compared to the huge sense of foreboding he was experiencing now. A thousand scenarios flashed through his mind, some very prominent and distressing.

Iroh laughing at him for having the nerve to show his scarred face at their gathering.

Iroh screaming at him, his face red with anger.

A slap across the face.

A shove to the ground.

A punch in the gut.

All these paled in comparison with the last nightmarish vision that followed: his uncle turning away without a word and walking out of sight. The identical action that had been performed by Zuko in the crystal catacombs.

He sighed and turned onto his back to see the stars in an attempt to block out the image his tortured mind had just presented to him. The sky was clear and Zuko stared at the bright lights, thinking of the destruction the vast universe was going to bring upon them the next day. The day where everything they've been fighting for will matter the most. Their final stand, their last battle and their only chance.

None of this was helping him fall asleep.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" A soft voice penetrated his reverie and Zuko jerked his head round to see Katara lying in a position that matched his own, watching the stars.

He turned back to the vast dark space in front of him. "Yes, it really is."

They paused for a moment, taking in the sight, breathing in the cool crisp air that was blowing into the dark city from the ocean far away.

"I ran away," Katara broke their silence with a voice that was barely louder than a whisper. "After mom died, I was so confused. Suddenly, I had to do everything right after losing my mother. I lost my way."

Zuko turned to look at her when he heard that. It was a feeling he knew well, but listening to someone else saying it out loud was a confirmation that there was another person that understood. She was still staring at the stars, their light illuminating her face with a faint glow that made her look like a spirit that was guiding him.

"I blamed everyone for what happened. The soldier, obviously. My father, for not being there. Even Sokka was at fault at one point. Most of all, I blamed myself for not helping her, for not saving her. My dad tried to talk to me about it one day but I lashed out at him. 'Why weren't you faster?' I screamed at him. 'Why couldn't you save her?' He drew back, shocked and hurt, so hurt. I saw the raw pain and grief in his eyes, threatening to spill over without warning. I couldn't handle it, especially when I had caused with questions that had actually been directed at me, so I ran out the door and didn't stop until I couldn't take another step."

She paused drew in a sharp breath, as if reliving the day it happened. Zuko wanted to comfort her somehow, but realized that her confiding in him was her way of comforting him.

"I collapsed and started weeping uncontrollably, lying there on my own surrounded by the ice and staring at the endless night sky. My idea was to go to the Northern Water Tribe to learn how to fight, but I had lost all my motivation. Eventually, Dad followed my footprints in the snow and found me. I heard him coming and thought he was going to send me away, or shout at me for being so spiteful. Instead, he took me into his arms and held me, whispering that he loved me and that he was so, so sorry about what I had to suffer through. In that moment I knew nothing would ever be the same again. Mom wouldn't be there to tuck us in at night or cook our dinners and there would always be that empty space in my heart where she used to be. But it would be all right."

Without thinking, Zuko got up, reached out and hugged his friend to let her know he understood what she went through and how she still felt. He knew what it was like to have his mother stolen away, to blame himself for what happened to her. He had been there too, and now he was here for her. "Thank you, Katara," he murmured into her ear before he pulled back and settled down into Appa's soft, warm fur. Zuko drifted peacefully to sleep, knowing that the people who loved you would understand and will forgive you when you hurt them.

**--**

**Reviews would be appreciated as I am trying to be a better writer and I know this isn't all that great. **


	2. Toph's Experiment

**So heres another chapter. I'm pretty impressed with myself, another chapter. But that's only because I don't have school at the moment. It'll be pretty slow going later on.**

**This one's also a friendship one with Zuko, except with Toph because I don't think they did enough with them, and the entire time, I knew they'd be hilarious together. This one's in Ember Island, sometime before 317.**

**--**

It was time for Toph to experiment with her sandbending.

She had been practicing every day since they had arrived on the Fire Nation holiday island. There wasn't much else for her to do. Sokka was always with Suki, either being mushy and couple-like, or sparring. Aang was still learning firebending from Zuko and Katara was helping them train.

Today they had decided to take a break on the beach. Zuko had wanted to continue with their training, but he was overruled by the majority vote. He had taken the opportunity to meditate on the sand while the rest of the gang splashed each other in the water, with the exception of the sneaky earthbender.

Wordlessly, Toph dropped down beside Zuko and sat cross-legged to imitate him. Though he didn't acknowledge her presence, he knew she was there. Perfect.

Using all her concentration, the young earthbender started making Zuko clones out of the sand behind them and had them all sit around the Fire Nation prince. Soon, they had a huge crowd of sand Zukos sitting on the beach, meditating.

The entire time, Toph had been holding in her laughter, but after the fifteenth sand boy had settled himself down, a snort escaped her. Zuko registered this immediately and glanced down at her, irritated at the interruption. In that moment, he saw the shapes of people behind and beside him. His head snapped round to the sight of life-sized replicas of himself, meditating on the sand.

Simultaneously, they all looked up and waved at him. Zuko yelled and jumped up without thinking, his eyes wide and his heart beating rapidly. The clone crowd disappeared into a cloud of sand as Toph dissolved into hysterical laughter. The firebender just stared down at her, partly still in shock, but partly in amazement.

"How...?"

Toph calmed down a little. Explaining the genius of her prank would also be enjoyable. "Sandbending." She hadn't calmed down very much.

"But...how did you know what I looked like?"

"I might be blind, but my way of seeing works pretty well. Dust and sand blows into your face. Vibrations. Earthbending. It wasn't too hard."

Zuko continued to stare at her.

"It was the walking and the sitting that was hard, but it worked didn't it? It looked like you right?" She smirked, then started chuckling to herself, remembering his reaction.

"Yes, it did..." He finally managed to reply. Yet at the same time, they had also looked completely different. The figures that had been sitting so peacefully around him looked exactly like him. They had taken the same stance, they were wearing the same clothes, they had the same build and their faces even had the same features.

"Of course, they weren't totally accurate. I can't see a scar with vibrations," Toph said thoughtfully, almost to herself. She had echoed his thoughts exactly.

Zuko knelt in front of his young friend and took her hand. Without knowing exactly what he was planning Toph didn't react. Silently and slowly, he brought her hand up to his scarred eye so her fingers softly brushed against the old wound, like Katara's had all those months ago. He half expected her to recoil from his face, so he let go of her arm but instead, Toph traced the edge of his eye and his ear, as if committing each detail to memory.

Without a word, she took her hand away and stretched it outwards beside them. Her fingers moved as if they were moulding clay, then she brought up an image of Zuko, complete with his scar, out of the beach like someone coming up for air in the ocean.

Zuko's burn was a reminder of the struggles he had to overcome to transform into the person he now was. It was part of his history and part of his identity. Toph's sand sculpture was now an exact portrayal of the Fire Nation prince.

**--**

**Always wanted Toph to make people out of earth or something. A little bit random, but I wanted there to be a nice moment at the end. Reviews would again, be appreciated.**


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